Rob M Budd

We attempted another leather pod cover and met with limited success. The problem is---I guess you could say---lack of equipment, rather than know how or experience.
At the Porsche factory they skive the leather, which is a process of splitting it to make it thinner. To do this and have the leather come out near the quality of the original requires a special machine and then re-processing the leather.
Skiving compresses the leather, and while it’s compressed, a very sharp thin blade splits it. When the leather is compressed and skived, it loses some of its elasticity and strength. The reprocessing replenishes some these features.
We don't have a skiving machine or the materials necessary to re-process the leather.
The reason I bring this up is because the switches mounted in the pod are awfully tight with the leather cover, since the leather is almost 1/8 thick. The turn switches are fine, but the push switches get hung up.
One solution we are trying is to trim away the vinyl along the perimeter of the switch hole. Essentially this just makes the hole larger giving the necessary clearance for proper switch operation. It also gives the leather a better surface to adhere to.
I think this approach will work fine, however I think many people will be reluctant to start carving up their pod with an Exacto knife. Although; when you think about it, what are few more cuts on a cracked pod anyway?
I expect to have a prototype pod ready in about 2 weeks and will post the results and some pictures.
The other alternative we’re looking at is having a third party skive and process that section of leather and then maybe obtaining the necessary equipment and materials if the leather still matches the rest and it looks OK. Of course this will add to the cost.

We haven’t calculated a price yet. We’ll do that once we have the right process pinned down and obtain better than average results.

The guy that does the leather work has finally returned from yet another vacation. For those of you that have orders in, he expects everything to be done by this coming Monday, so you should have it by the following Friday

Weissach

I think you are missing a crucial point. The dashes/pods/door panels that come from the factory leather wrapped are slightly different. I know this because I have stripped many Porsche interiors.

A perfect example is the dash. The leather ones have different size air vents. Also(and most importantly), the openings where the pillar meets the dash are cut extra large. This give the space needed for the thick leather.

Porsche doesn't do this anymore. Now, there leather and vinyl parts are the same. But, you can notice that the vinyl parts now come with extra large gaps. This way, it's way cheaper for them....

bcdavis

I think someone really needs to make a casting of the pod, and make a replacement in fiberglass, so people can either paint it, cover it, or do whatever they want...

Seems like it would be a lot cheaper, and also it will last a lot longer...

heinrich

The leather pod is the same as the vinyl one, just covered in leather :-) You will have to skive (as I said in a previous thread). If you cut the vinyl you end up with foam rubber.

Jadz928

Thanks for the update, Rob. I wouldn't have a problem trimming out the switch holes as I have a couple extra cracked pods.

Is it possible to use a thinner gauge leather?